12/09/2026
Former President Koroma, Peace Commission Explore Collaboration on Peace and National Cohesion
Preventing conflict before it escalates and strengthening national collaboration for peace were at the centre of discussions on Saturday, 12 September 2026, when a delegation from the Peace Commission met with Former President Ernest Bai Koroma following his return to Sierra Leone.
The delegation was led by the Commission’s Board Chairman, Rev. Shodankeh Johnson, and included Executive Secretary Hawa Sally Samai, the Director of Conflict Prevention Adikalie Sheku Kamara and Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach Hawa Barrie.
Welcoming Former President Koroma, Rev. Shodankeh expressed appreciation for his return and acknowledged his continued engagement with the Government of Sierra Leone.
He reflected on the progress Sierra Leone has made in sustaining peace and assured the Former President of the Commission’s commitment to working with national stakeholders whose experience and influence can contribute to peace and national cohesion.
Receiving the delegation, Former President Koroma said it was always good to be back home and expressed his pleasure at meeting members of the Commission in good health.
He emphasised that his return was not in any new official capacity, but as a retired President who intends to focus on issues of peace, national cohesion and development.
A central part of his message was the need for Sierra Leone to place greater emphasis on preventive peacebuilding.
Former President Koroma noted that peacebuilding should not receive attention only when tensions or crises emerge. Periods of relative calm, he said, provide an important opportunity to identify warning signs, address grievances and strengthen relationships before problems escalate.
He encouraged the Commission to continue strengthening its early warning and preventive mechanisms rather than relying on what he described as a “fire brigade” approach to conflict resolution. Identifying risks early, he said, would allow for more timely and effective interventions.
Former President Koroma also informed the delegation of plans to establish a foundation focusing on peace, good governance and democracy, which he said could provide opportunities for collaboration with the Peace Commission. He added that he had informed President Julius Maada Bio about his plans and reaffirmed his readiness to contribute to national peace efforts.
Drawing on experiences elsewhere in West Africa, he highlighted the important role former Heads of State can play in supporting dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding.
He referenced the West African Elders Forum and noted that countries in the region have benefited from drawing on the experience of former national leaders when addressing difficult national and regional issues. He said Sierra Leone could similarly harness the experience of its former leaders to complement the work of institutions mandated to promote peace.
Presenting the Commission’s Annual Report to Former President Koroma, Executive Secretary Hawa Sally Samai said his emphasis on prevention reflects the direction the Commission has increasingly taken during its five years of existence.
She explained that at its inception, the Commission was confronted with several conflicts requiring immediate intervention, resulting in a largely reactive approach. Over time, however, it became clear that responding to conflicts only after they had escalated was neither sufficient nor sustainable.
This informed a deliberate shift towards prevention and the establishment of community-based structures capable of identifying and addressing tensions before they develop into larger conflicts.
Madam Samai highlighted the work of Peace Monitors, Peace Mediators, Paramount Chiefs, civil society actors and district civil society peace coalitions, alongside the Commission’s 898 Toll-Free Hotline, as part of its early warning and response mechanisms.
She also spoke about the Commission’s efforts to better understand the underlying causes of conflict in communities, including studies examining the root causes of conflict at chiefdom level and a pilot initiative facilitated by UNDP.
The Executive Secretary stressed the importance of understanding the country’s vulnerabilities and strengthening local systems that enable communities to address disputes before they escalate.
She further highlighted the Commission’s engagement with schools and universities, aimed at promoting a culture of peace among young people and strengthening their role in peaceful coexistence and national cohesion.
At the national level, Madam Samai briefed Former President Koroma on the Commission’s work to assess progress on key peace agreements and recommendations that have shaped Sierra Leone’s post-war peacebuilding journey.
She said the Commission is working with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to assess the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations, with plans to publish an update on the status of implementation by the end of the year.
She also referenced ongoing work around the Tripartite Committee recommendations, the Agreement for National Unity and the Lomé Peace Agreement, noting the similarities between several recent recommendations and issues previously identified by the TRC.
As the Commission marks its fifth anniversary, Madam Samai said it would seek to draw on the wisdom and experience of respected national figures, including Former President Koroma, to strengthen its peacebuilding work and help provide direction where necessary.
She also briefed him on the Commission’s planned Peace and National Cohesion Symposium in October, which forms part of activities marking five years of the Commission’s work.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing readiness to explore opportunities for collaboration, particularly around preventive peacebuilding, early warning, dialogue, reconciliation and national cohesion.
Former President Koroma reaffirmed his willingness to work with the Peace Commission, reinforcing a key message from the engagement: sustaining Sierra Leone’s peace requires continuous investment in prevention, dialogue and national collaboration, even when the country is relatively calm.
